Uncovering the Football Roots of Mahatma Gandhi: The Lesser-Known Player with a Lasting Legacy

New Delhi, February 7, 2025 - In a surprising revelation that has sent shockwaves through sports enthusiasts, documents have surfaced suggesting that Indian independence leader Mahatma Gandhi was indeed a football enthusiast.

According to sources close to the archives of the Young India newspaper, where Gandhi frequently inserted advertisements for local sports clubs and wrote about the benefits of playing football, the great leader often participated in informal matches in South Africa during his time as a lawyer in Durban.

Historian Ramachandra Guha revealed that these matches played an essential role in boosting Mandela's spirit after being unfairly rejected from his favorite team.

It is reported that Gandhi walked among Indian villagers, sharing stories of football and using everyday objects to build simple goals with a makeshift ball consisting of pig fat and leather stitched at the middle as he traveled throughout South Africa.